Re-usable envelope



March 2, 1965 F. BARNES, JR 3,171,582

} RE-USABLE ENVELOPE Filed May 5, 1964 IQIVENTOR United States Patent Oflice 3,171,582 RE-USABLE ENVEMEIE Floyd Barnes, 32a, 2652 W. Lafayette Ave, Baltimore, Md. Filed May 5, 1964, Ser. No. 365,119 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-77) This invention relates to envelopes, and more particularly to an envelope adapted to be re-usable.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of an L-shaped member adapted to be used in combination with an envelope adapted to be re-usable.

A further object of this invention resides in the means used to lock and seal the envelope.

Another object or" this invention resides in the means used to remove the canceled stamp from the envelope.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of an envelope which is strong, durable, highly efii cient in operation, simple in construction and manufacture, and capable of being relatively inexpensively produced.

For a complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanyim drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a horizontal front view of the envelope.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of an L-shaped member.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 generally designates an envelope of a plastic material having sealed horizontal ends, a sealed vertical end and an open vertical end. Envelope 1 is provided with a vertical slot 2 adjacent the upper sealed horizontal end and protruding the front side, a diagonal slot 3 adjacent the lowermost portion of the open vertical end and protruding the front side and a vertical slot 4 adjacent the open vertical end and protruding the front and rear sides.

A substantially L-shaped member 5 of a paper material having an outwardly extending arm 6, a downwardly extending arm 7 provided with a vertical slot 8 and an outwardly extending gummed lip portion 9, is constructed so that the outwardly extending arm 6 is received within slot 2 and the lowermost corner portion 18 of the downwardly extending arm 7 is received within slot 3.

When the outwardly extending arm 5 of L-shaped member 5 is received within slot 2 and the lowermost corner portion of L-shaped member 5 is received within slot 3, the vertical slot 8 is urged immediately over and parallel to slot 4.

3,.l?l,532 Patented Mar. 2, 1955 The envelope 3. is locked by folding the gumrned lip portion 9 downwardly around the open vertical end and upwardly through slots 4 and 3.

The envelope l is sealed by applying moisture to the guntmed lip portion 9 and pressing firmly to front side of L-shaped member 5.

To send envelope, the sender must afiix a postage stamp to upper right-hand corner of L-shaped member 5.

To open envelope, the gummed lip portion 9 is pulled upwardly from the front side of L-shaped member 5 and pushed downwardly through slots 3 and 4. The envelope is re-usable when a new L-shaped member is applied.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise embodiment shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be readily resorted to that {all within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

An envelope for use in combination with a substantially L-shaped member for enabling re-use of said envelope, said envelope having an upwardly extending slot protruding front side, said envelope having a diagonal slot protruding front side, said envelope having an upwardly extending slot protruding front and rear sides, said L-shaped member having an outwardly extending arm, said upwardly extending slot protruding front side receiving said outwardly extending arm, said L-shaped member having a downwardly extending arm provided with an upwardly extending slot, said downwardly extending arm having an outwardly extending gummed lip portion, said diagonal slot receiving said downwardly extending arm, said upwardly extending slot protruding front and rear sides receiving said gumrned lip portion, said upwardly extending slot of said downwardly extending arm receiving said gurnmed lip portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 606,3 66 6/98 Southard. 3,035,755 5/62 Masi 22976 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,463 1891 Great Britain.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

